My Funny Valentine
by IceonFire7
Summary: From a prompt for the Good Ship Charloe's Valentine short-fic fest. Post War: Miles/Rachel plan a V-day party. Bass wants to invite Charlie, but she thinks the whole thing is a joke. Can he convince her it's not? One-shot.


**This is for the Good Ship Charloe Valentine short-fic fest. I own nothing of Revolution, just playing around with Bass and Charlie ;)**

* * *

Charlie waited in the bar for her drinking buddy to show up. It was becoming a daily occurrence for them, getting together for a few hours. And she had to admit, she rather enjoyed it. He was actually quite easy to talk to, far more intelligent than she'd ever given him credit for, and a load of fun after he got a few drinks in him.

"Hey, Charlie." Bass plopped on the barstool beside her. "How's it going?"

But what she liked most was that he was the only other person in Willoughby who understood just how crazy her mother really was.

She sighed. "Fine."

"Uh, oh. I know that sound."

"What sound?"

"The sound of Rachel driving you nuts."

Charlie rolled her eyes, signaling to the bartender for another round. He poured two more whiskeys, sliding one down to Bass.

"Better leave it, Jack," Bass said. She could feel his eyes on her. The bartender nodded, setting the bottle down and walking away. "So what happened now?"

She swiveled on the stool, meeting his eyes. "Have you heard Rachel's latest stupid idea?"

"I don't know, Charlie. You're going to have to narrow that down. Which one?"

She chuckled. Leave it to Bass to make her feel better. And wasn't that just an ironic twist of events. "She wants to have a Valentine's Day party."

"Okay..."

His answer lacked the usually bite; he must not have fully understood. "You know, Valentine's Day, which I guess you guys used to celebrate before the Blackout."

"Yeah, I know what it is." An eyebrow lifted. "I remember."

"Well, Rachel feels that we could use a little more love and happiness in Willoughby. Hence, the party tomorrow night." She looked up and found Bass just watching her. Why wasn't he getting it? "You know she doesn't care about any of those things. She's just doing this so she can be even more sickeningly sweet with my uncle."

Bass shook his head. "I thought you gave them your blessing, Charlie."

"I did. I love Miles. You know I only want him to be happy." And she did want that for her uncle. It was just harder to have that same wish for her mother. How horrible was that, and what exactly did that say about her? Glancing at Bass, she knew he knew what she was thinking. Sometimes it bugged her that he could read her so well.

"Is it possible that you're jealous?" Bass asked, a tiny smirk creasing the corners of his mouth.

That was insane. "Of what?"

"Of the fact that your mother has someone."

"I'm not jealous, Bass. I think it sounds like a stupid holiday. And she's making me help her out with decorations and food, even though I'm not going. I have no desire to go." She sounded whiny, even to her own ears. But, damn it, she wasn't jealous.

"Well, the way I heard it, you can only attend this party with someone you like. Someone you have feelings for."

Their eyes locked and she groaned. "You knew all about it. And you let me go on and on about it."

"It's a small town, Charlie. News travels fast." He gulped down his drink, then refilled his glass. "And I let you talk about it because you really needed to get it off your chest."

She rolled her eyes, sipping at her whiskey. "Well, anyway, it's a stupid idea, don't you think?"

He remained silent, eyes on the drink in front of him.

"Bass?"

"Hmmm?"

"Isn't it a stupid idea?" Suddenly, she felt very unsure of herself. Bass was always the first to agree with her when it came to Rachel.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, maybe Willoughby could use a little more happiness."

She couldn't believe he was on board with this. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Sebastian Monroe?"

"It's still me, Charlie. I just think it might be kind of nice."

"Well, the thing is you can't go by yourself. You have to take someone you care about," Charlie said, her voice sarcastic.

"I know."

She swallowed hard. Bass wanted to go. Which meant he had someone in mind. The thought of him being interested in some random woman tugged at her heart. Which was ridiculous...they were only friends. "So there...there's someone you like."

He stared at her for a few minutes. "Yeah, I guess there is."

Why couldn't he have broken this news to her a little more gently? She imagined when he finally asked this other woman out, their nights of drinking at the bar would end. Suddenly, a picture formed in her mind, and she knew exactly who the woman was. "It's Lisa Hoffman, isn't it? From the general store."

"Lisa Hoffman?"

It all made complete sense. She was an attractive blonde, probably about Bass's age. Charlie had a very brief image of punching the woman in the nose. "I've seen you in the store. I've seen you smile at her."

Bass chuckled. "Charlie, I smile at a lot of people."

"Yeah, but this is your special smile."

"My what?"

"It's your special smile. Not many people get to see it. It's not your flirty smile, or your cocky smile, or your I-just-ripped-apart-your-entire-army smile. This one is...different." She looked up at him, their gazes locking. God, she loved how blue his eyes were.

Those same eyes softened as they stared at her. "Have you seen my special smile, Charlie?"

"Well, yeah. Miles has too. It's honest. It means you're truly happy." She felt very shy telling him this all of a sudden. "Anyway, Lisa always talks about you. I'm sure she'd really love to go with you."

"Well, I guess we'll never know. Since I have no intention of asking her." He turned back to his drink, swallowing the rest in one gulp.

"But I thought you wanted to go."

"I do. Lisa's a nice lady, Charlie, but I'm not interested in her."

"Well, then who would you go to this stupid party with?" She was getting flustered. Just how many women did he have waiting in the wings?

"You."

There was at least a minute of complete silence; although, Charlie swore it was more like five. All he did was look at her, those sharp blue eyes glued to her. She couldn't think, couldn't speak. And when her voice finally returned, her response came out as a squeak. "Me?"

"You."

"But you have to go with someone you have...feelings for." God, she sounded like Mickey Mouse. That was a pre-Blackout reference she actually understood and remembered.

"I know the rules, Charlie."

"I..." She had no idea what the hell to say. Being around Bass never made her this uneasy. So she did the only thing she could. She bolted. "I think I need some air."

She was out the door in a flash.

* * *

Bass sighed. He'd either misread every single thing that had ever passed between them, or Charlie had just taken the coward's way out. He prayed it was the latter.

Standing, he paid Jack for their tab and followed her out the front door. He found her not more than five feet away from the entrance to the bar, her hands shaking, her breath heavy.

"So did I hit a nerve or do I owe you an apology?" She glanced up at him, her eyes wide and startled. It tore at his heart. "Charlie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I-I just..."

"I thought maybe you knew, or at least suspected..."

"How you felt about me? I-I didn't...I mean, I..." Looking up at him, her bright blue eyes searched his. She tilted her head as if suddenly realizing something. "You're always here, always with me."

"Yeah."

"All the times you saved me. All the times you came back for me." He shrugged, not sure of what to say. "You sit and listen to me gripe every night. You even helped me move out of my grandfather's house."

"I wasn't busy that day. And I like the way you gripe." He smiled, hoping it was what she classified as his special one. His heart skipped knowing she could identify his expressions so readily.

She returned his grin. "Well, I inherited that talent. You know, the ability to complain."

He laughed and she joined in. "You're the first Matheson to ever admit to it."

"You've never let me down, Bass." He started to protest, but she cut him off. Stepping away from the wall, she narrowed the space between them. "The war is long over. General Sebastian Monroe is long gone. I like the man who's taken his place. I like him a lot."

Damn, the closer she got, the more his pulse rate increased, sending a rush of blood southward. "You do, huh?"

"Yeah, well, he's handsome, charming, sweet...and one hell of a fighter."

"That's the warrior in you talking."

"Maybe." She was right in front of him; he could smell her, the scent intoxicating. "So you want to take me to the party, huh?"

"Charlie, there's no one else I would ever go with." She leaned into him and kissed him, or he kissed her; he wasn't really sure who moved first. All he knew was that Charlie was in his arms, her lips warm against his, her tongue sweeping into his mouth.

God, she tasted better than he ever imagined. But he wanted so much more. "Charlie, come with me."

She shook her head as if to clear it. Man, he hoped their kiss had something to do with her confusion. "To the party?"

"Home. Come home with me, Charlie." His hand caressed her cheek. "Even if it's only to talk."

"Bass, if I go home with you, we aren't going to talk." She reached for his hand, entwining their fingers. "So let's go."

He laughed but let her pull him along towards his house. They wasted no time. She knew his place, knew where his room was. They didn't stop moving until they reached his bed. "Charlie, are you sure? I can wait."

She smiled softly. "I can't."

Standing on her tiptoes, her lips crashed against his. It was passionate and erotic, everything he adored about Charlotte Matheson. Her kisses were as fiery as her personality. She moaned when his tongue touched hers. He kept it gentle; he wanted to drag it out with her, keep everything slow and sensual. He just wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself with her.

Keeping their mouths fused together, his hands deftly slid under her tank, stroking along the skin of her stomach and circling around to her back. Grabbing the hem of the tank, he lifted it over her head. Standing there in her plain white bra, she was breathtaking. "Charlie, you're beautiful."

Smiling, she reclined on the bed, reaching out for him. He followed her, kneeling beside her and leaning down to press tender kisses to her flat stomach. Nipping at her skin, he ran the palm of his hand along the waistband of her pants. Popping open the snap of her jeans, he pulled away long enough to remove their boots, happy just to have the clunky things out of the way.

Crawling back onto the bed, he quickly resumed his previous position. Placing a kiss between her breasts, he licked up to her neck, savoring the salty taste of her skin. "Charlie..."

"Don't stop, Bass." She sighed, slipping her hands into his curls to hold him against her.

"Never." He had no intention of stopping until she was writhing underneath him.

Ever so slowly, he pulled down one of the cups of her bra, exposing her nipple. His mouth covered it, sucking until the bud hardened under his tongue. He slid the strap over her shoulder and down her arm, giving him better access. Reaching up behind her back, she flipped open the clasp of her bra, removing it completely and tossing it away. He smirked at her. "Impatient, are we?"

"You could say that." But there was humor in her voice. And a lightness he rarely heard.

His hands found her breasts, caressing and fondling, thumbs skimming over the nipples, shudders running through her at his touch. Her mouth found his again, more force between them this time, a gnashing of teeth and tongues. He slid the zipper down on her jeans, and she leaned back, both helping her shimmy out of the tight denim. Yanking them down her legs, he pulled them off and threw them over his shoulder.

"Stop, Bass."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. He glanced up at her face, making sure he hadn't hurt or frightened her. Her eyes were wide, pupils blown, but otherwise, she seemed alright. "Charlie, you okay?"

"I'm fine." He raised an eyebrow and she grinned. "We're just not going any further until you at least take off your shirt."

He chuckled, but yanked the v-neck tee over his head, flipping it into the growing pile of clothes. "Better?"

"Much." Her hands skimmed down his chest, fingering the nipples and drawing a sharp intake of breath from him. "Damn, Bass. You're amazing."

He pulled her against him, lowering them both to the bed. Kissing and nipping his way down her body, he found himself centered right between her thighs. Exactly where he wanted to be. Ever so gently, he ran his finger over the soft material still hiding her pussy from him.

She groaned, her head dropping back against the pillow. "Bass..."

Jesus, he loved hearing his name on her lips, especially when it was filled with lust and longing. He increased the pressure a little, rubbing back and forth more firmly. A soft whimper escaped her; her legs shaking as she moved towards his hand. "God, you're so wet, baby."

Her response was more gurgled moans than actual words, but he swore he heard his name in there again. He chuckled, thrilled that she trusted him enough to let her guard down this way.

Sweeping kisses down the inside of her thigh, he traced his tongue over the cotton of her underwear, a hint of her taste seeping through. Tired of the offending material blocking him out, he slipped her panties down her legs. Spreading her wide, he flattened his tongue and licked from her ass all the way to her clit. She nearly flew off the bed, and he used a hand to press down on her abdomen, keeping her in place. "Calm down, Charlie. Just lay back and enjoy."

Her voice was tight, but full of mirth. "Oh, I am...enjoying it, I mean. But relaxing...probably not going to happen."

"Give me five minutes and you might change your tune." When she let out a full throaty laugh, he smiled against her.

"I'm holding you to that."

He resumed his task, running his tongue over her clit, relishing her whimpers and cries, loving the way her hands played with his curls. God, she tasted like heaven. Drawing patterns with his tongue, he thrust a finger inside her, stroking in and out as she whispered his name. "Damn, baby, you're so tight."

There was no response, but her hips rolled as she strove to impale herself on his finger, seeking out her pleasure. He kept up the pace with both finger and tongue, inserting another digit and driving into her. Babbling his name, along with a few curse words, she exploded when he curled his fingers upwards. He continued stroking her right through her orgasm, her walls clamping on his fingers like a vise. Dear God, he couldn't wait to be inside of her.

He eased up only when she finally came down from her high, his fingers slowly withdrawing, his tongue taking over to lap up her juices. "Charlie, you taste so good."

"Bass," she murmured. Her hands moved from his hair to his chin, her movements suggesting she wanted him beside her, her mouth attacking his as soon as he slid back up her body. She didn't seem at all bothered by the stickiness on his face and beard, her tongue tangling with his as she pulled him firmly against her. Her hand found the front of his pants, stroking him through the denim. "It's my turn."

He wanted to let her. In fact, the only thing he wanted more than her lips around his cock was being buried deep within her body "Next time. I need to be inside of you."

Their eyes met, blue swirling into blue. He wanted to drown in those huge azure pools; he'd already fallen hard for her anyway. "I want that too."

She helped him out of his jeans, shoving them down his legs with her feet; he hesitated only long enough to pull them off. His lips found her breasts again, licking and sucking, while her hand encircled his cock, gently fondling him. He was already hard as a rock, and the light touch of her hand was almost unbearable. "Charlie...inside you..."

She seemed to agree, moving him to her slick entrance. "Now, Bass."

With no pretense, he slid into her, filling her in one quick stroke. Both groaned at the sensation of joining. Her walls, slippery and snug, held him firmly; he pulled back out, slamming home once again. "God, baby...so beautiful."

She lifted her legs, Bass's arms holding them apart as he thrust in and out of her. He set a fast pace, determined to bring her off at least once more. He felt rather like a teenager; for the first time in longer than he could remember, he wasn't sure he could hold off on his release. Their eyes met and held again, both lost in the physical act and the emotional connection blossoming between them. He cared for her; hell, he more than cared for her, but now, buried deep inside her, he thought he might never be able to exist without her again.

"God, don't stop...right there...Bass..." He felt her orgasm approaching and slowed his movements down, stroking along every sensitive spot inside her with a deliberate motion. "Yes...just like that."

"Come for me, Charlie." His words were all it took to tip her right over the edge into ecstasy. She screamed his name, then softly repeated it over and over as she floated back to earth. He chased after her, his speed increasing as he sought his own release. When it hit, his hands grasped for hers, their fingers lacing together as he groaned her name.

He collapsed on top of her, his softening cock still buried inside her. They lay there for a few minutes, exhausted and out of breath, but both filled with a tender warmth. One of her hands toyed with his matted curls, the other still enveloped in his. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had such incredible sex. "You just might be the death of me, Charlie."

"Well, I hope not." Angling her head slightly, she kissed the side of his neck. "But I'll take it as a compliment."

"You really should." Gaining a small amount of energy, he moved off of her, falling onto his side facing her, arms closing around her. Turning to him, she snuggled down, settling into his embrace.

They stared at one another for a few minutes, until he finally broke the silence. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that...this is one of the most unexpected things to ever happen in my life. And if someone had told me two years ago that I would end up here with you, I would have called them a liar." That was a truthful answer, and he understood it completely. But it still stung a little. Until her next words. "But I'm also thinking that I've never been happier. And I've never felt so much like I was exactly where I belonged."

He smiled at her, relieved by her response. Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kissed on the tip of her nose. "And I've never felt more like I was home in my life, Charlie."

"Good. Then this isn't a onetime thing."

"Far from it." He gazed into her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Charlie."

"Neither am I, Bass." She smirked. "So, uh, you still want to go to that Valentine's Day party tomorrow night?"

"I wouldn't mind." He tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "But I know you think it's stupid."

"Well, in all honesty, I think it's less stupid now."

Her smile was blinding, and he let out a bark of laughter. "Then would you like to go to the party with me, Charlie?"

"I'd love to." She nestled into his arms. "Bass, you do know you can only go to this party with someone you have feelings for?"

She couldn't possibly doubt the way he felt for her after everything that had just happened between them. "Of course."

"You do remember that Rachel is hosting it. That Miles will be there." He shrugged. What the hell was she getting at? "Well, if you and I show up together at a party where the only attendees are people who have a thing for each other, what do you think my mother and uncle will say?"

"Uh..."

Shit. She really might be the death of him after all. Miles really might kill him this time. His royal blue eyes met her electric blue ones, full of mirth and mischief. Oh, what the hell, he'd been near death plenty of times before.

And damn it, Charlotte Matheson was totally worth it.


End file.
